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London, Paris Swiss trip for 14 days

Posted by on

Hi there,

Planning a trip for London, Paris, Swiss for 14 days 3rd week of June. Landing Saturday night / Sunday morning in London 7 nights, leaving Next Sunday morning for Paris via train- 3 nights in Paris, Wednesday morning Paris to Switzerland via train (some city in Swizz), 4 nights in Swiss, flying back Sunday from Swiss to USA. Travelling with my 13 soon to be 14 yr. old daughter - just her and I.

Need pointers on -

1) Does it make sense to buy the Eurorail pass? Seems for the two train rides from London to Paris and from Paris to some city in Switzerland the total cost would be approx. $300 per person for both the train rides tickets (140+150). The euro rail global pass is almost 500$ per person unless I am not looking at the right pass... Does it then just make sense to book the individual train tickets?
Seems it would then make sense to buy the Swiss pass for within Switzerland.

2) Which city in Switzerland do I go to via the train from Paris? the goal is to stay in that one city three night and then travel to these different points of interest which are recommended online - Mt Titlis, Lake Lucerne, Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Jungfrau. I will have half of Wed, Thursday and Friday for the above places of interest. What else can I cover and have missed above? The goal is get to get to Zurich on Saturday and can fly out from Zurich on Sunday. One day in Zurich is good.

3) Is 7 nights in London too much? Planning to do the usual touristy London stuff, plus day /overnight trip to Edinburgh Castle, aand another day trip to Oxford, Windsor, Stonehege.

Posted by
13 posts

I think you posted this in the wrong place. This section of the forum is for Rick Steves tour groups.

Posted by
8145 posts

I long ago used to travel as far and fast as I could make it in 2 weeks. But $9 per U.S. gallon gasoline cured me, and now we travel slowly. We like to stay in one place 4-5 days and do day trips by rental car. Is this your first trip to Europe--and London and Paris in particular?

Trying to visit London for a week and then going to Edinburgh and loaded day trips would be very difficult. Paris (and all great European cities) are worthy of more than just a short stay.

We often take trains from city to city, but if the train ride is over 4 hours, we're flying on European Budget Airlines--really cheap.

Have you considered traveling through the Austrian Alps (2 hrs. from Munich) instead of the Swiss Alps? They're the same mountains, and travel in Austria is so much less expensive and easier to travel through. Tirol has some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen too.

Posted by
20103 posts

  1. No, it does not make sense to get a Eurail Pass.

  2. Take a train from Paris to Lauterbrunnen. Paris>Basel>Bern>Interlaken Ost> Lauterbrunnen. Stay 3 nights, Then travel to Luzern in the morning. Ride the Lake boat to Vitznau and take the Rigi Bahn to the top of Mt Rigi. 1 mile downhill hike to Kaltbad, then the cable car down to Weggis, walk to the dock and boat back to Luzern, or just take the Rigi Bahn back to Vitznau and catch the boat to Luzern. Next morning, take train to Zurich airport for flight home, it is just over 1 hour with a train change in Zurich HB.

Simplest will be to buy a 4-day Swiss Travel travel pass plus the free Family Card so your daughter can travel with you for free. Pass would start day after your arrival in Lauterbrunnen. Do not spend the money to go to the Jungfraujoch unless the weather is clear. Lake Luzern boats and Rigi Bahn and cable car are free with the Swiss Travel Pass.

  1. Up to you. You have 3 major day trips. Taking a 4 1/2 train to Edinburgh just to see the castle, then 4 1/2 hours back to London seems a bit daft, but it is your (and your daughter's) vacation. Do as you like.
Posted by
4 posts

Sam - is there a link I can use to compare the different pass prices - Swiss travel pass vs half fare pass vs Berner Oberland pass. If spending 3 nights in the Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen, Junfrau area then would the halfpass or Berner pass be more cost effective?

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